Sasuke Uchiha
by Crazy-Fairy
Summary: After Sasuke had a confrontation with his brother, he ended up wounded and bloodied when Sakura saw him and saved his life. In return, Sasuke vowed that he will protect Sakura and willed himself to be stronger to defeat his brother. AU. SasukeSakura pairi
1. Blood Brothers

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters.

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**Summary: **After Sasuke had a confrontation with his brother, he ended up wounded and bloodied when Sakura saw him and saved his life. In return, Sasuke vowed that he will protect Sakura and willed himself to be stronger to defeat his brother. AU. Sasuke/Sakura pairing.

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"**SASUKE UCHIHA"**

by: Crazy-Fairy

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**Chapter One: **Blood Brothers

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Sasuke snapped his eyes open as he heard some noise from the inside and outside of the mansion. Sounds of arguing and fighting could be slightly heard to his room.

He jumped out of his bed when he heard his mother's distant voice, crying and screaming.

Sasuke looked out from the window, from his room at the third floor, he could make silhouettes of fighting ninja's outside into the night.

Are they being invaded?

With as much speed as he could muster, Sasuke dashed out of his room to help. He knew that he's not as strong as his father or brother…yet. But with his current skill, he knew that he could fight and create serious damage.

'_Brother, where are you? What's happening?'_ Sasuke thought.

**0000000**

Sasuke was shocked at what he saw. Everyone from his clan, the ninja's, and the house helps were all lying on the floor, lifeless; their blood oozing out from their body and spreading to the once immaculate floor.

Coldness ran through his spine as his eyes narrowed with fury.

'_Who could have done this?' _he thought, bewildered.

Another scream and Sasuke dashed to where his mother's voice came from.

He panted as he stopped in front of their back garden.

When he looked at the person standing in the middle of the garden, surrounded by dead bodies, Sasuke's eyes dilated in shock.

"Nii-san?" Sasuke asked as Itachi let go of his hold to their mother's body and let it fall to the ground next to their father's. The kunai that Itachi used was dripping with blood as he grasped it. "Why?" Sasuke still asked as his eyes stared from his mother's to his father's lifeless form.

Itachi slowly turned his head toward Sasuke. "You wouldn't understand." was Itachi's only reply.

"How could I understand when you killed our parents, you slaughtered our whole clan! What was I to understand!" Sasuke yelled, not noticing several ninja's appeared, almost surrounding him.

Itachi smirked, his blood red eyes staring at Sasuke coldly.

"You're not my Nii-san!" Sasuke growled.

"That's right." Itachi said bored-ly. "Because I have no relations to a weakling like you."

Hurt pierced Sasuke's heart. The brother he idolized so much, he couldn't believe that he's the same person as the one standing not too far away from him.

"Why did you do this?"

"You see, Sasuke, when a man reached the ultimate power, he craves for more." Itachi said matter of factly. "You crave for blood. To prove that you're the strongest of all." Then, his so-called amusement was gone as he turned emotionless. "The weak dies and the strong survives."

And then, ninja's started to attack Sasuke from different directions.

Sasuke moved instinctively as he dodged each attacker. Without a choice and being outnumbered, despite his pride, Sasuke ran.

"Too weak and too scared, little brother?" Itachi taunted. "You're a disgrace to be called my brother."

Sasuke heard Itachi's taunting voice as he ran towards the open field, not caring if some tree branch were scratching him.

He yelped when a kunai hit his right shoulder, then he felt another sharp pain on his left leg caused by a few shuriken.

Sasuke panted and winced as he stopped right next to a raging water fall.

'_Is this the end?' _he thought bitterly. He didn't even have the chance to prove his skill or to defend himself.

He coughed blood as his eyes dilated then narrowed as he saw Itachi appeared in front of him. He yelped when the kunai that Itachi buried at his chest, almost near his heart, was cruelly being twisted slightly.

"The weak dies…." Itachi murmured right near Sasuke's ears as he pulled the kunai out of Sasuke's body and let him fall to the raging water.

Sasuke's eyes widened then saw darkness as the raging water engulfed him, then nothingness.

**00000**

**This is my first time writing Naruto so I'm not that good so bear with me. Hope you guys like this and I know this is short but this chapter is just some kind of suspense introduction.**

**Yorishiku.**


	2. Mystic Land

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters.

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**Chapter Two: **Mystic Land

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In a vast land of greenery; different tall trees stood strong. Grass, flowers, and small plants swayed at the winds command. Birds twittering on top of the trees, eagles soaring high in the sky, butterfly landing on flowers, small animals running about, and small insects made cricking noises.

And with the natural flow of nature, in the middle of all these, was a pink haired girl walking slowly with a basket clutched in her hand. The basket was half-full of flowers. She was walking aimlessly yet silently so to not disturb the animals.

Sakura would stop once in a while to inspect some wild flowers and to play with the small animals running about.

She was sitting in the middle of the flowers, almost hiding her feet to the waist when she felt that nature itself and also the animals were getting restless. Sakura squint her eyes as she slowly scanned her surroundings, checking if there was any danger coming.

Another minute and she saw no suspicious movements nor noise, only the gush of wind and the noise of the animals. But despite the assurance that there was no danger, Sakura heightened her consciousness as curiosity got the better of her. There was no way the animals would act strangely if there was nothing wrong.

She stood, forgetting about her basket as she walked near the forest, she could feel a faint aura, almost dying. Sakura walked cautiously.

She was walking for a while until she was almost near the clearing.

When she finally stepped out of the forest and at the clearing, her eyes widened in surprised and awe.

At the side of the clearing near the part with semi-large rocks, rested a young man. Sakura bet that he was the same age as hers or a year older than her. The young man's torso was lying on the rocks as his hands were thrown around it while his lower body was still on the water.

Sakura frowned worriedly when she noticed that something red was mixing to the flowing water and some dripping on the rock; she bet that it was blood. His blood.

She could still not see his face but she knew that he was beaten up badly, and add the impact from the water.

"What happened to you?" Sakura whispered as she slowly made small steps toward the unconscious guy. "Why are you bleeding so bad? No wonder the animals were restless, they worry about you…"

Sakura knelt down next to the unconscious body as she slowly brushed his dark and wet hair. She stared at him with wonderment as she saw half of his handsome yet bruise face.

A trace of a blush and a small smile appeared on Sakura's face. "What an enchanting young man." She whispered as she kept stroking his hair. "Who could have done this to something so wonderful?" she kept on talking in whispered tone. "Ahh…too bad you're draining out of your life force…" she sighed. "But don't worry, we're not beings from this mystic land if we cannot revive you. It would be a waste to let someone so gorgeous as you to just wither away…"

Sakura moved him carefully a bit so he could end up half-resting on her lap. Once he was settled, she brushed the stray strands of hair out of his face before lightly caressing his bruise and chaffing lips with her fingers. After a second of hesitation, Sakura brought her lips down to his as she gave him a light kiss before she nibbled on his lower lip a little. She stopped for a while when she felt him groaned but she didn't remove her lips to his. When he nibbled and kissed her back lightly, Sakura grabbed her chance to deepen the kiss a little more. As he kissed her back deeply, Sakura's lips gave off a golden aura and passed it to his lips. When the transfer was complete, Sakura began to kiss his lips lightly once again before she moved away from him. He tried to chase her lips, Sakura giggled.

"Uhnn…." He groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.

Sakura gasped as she saw his deep-penetrating pool of onyx eyes. He's really enchanting. "Boy, what's your name?"

"Sa…suke…"

"I'm Sakura."

"What….happened?" he asked, still dazed and confused.

"You're near your last breath that was why I transferred some life force to you, to prevent you from dying." She explained.

Sasuke blinked a few times.

"So, what happened to you? Why are you all beaten and bruised and almost dead on the water?"

Hearing those questions, Sasuke's eyes widened as he recalled what happened just a few hours ago. He sat up brusquely but he ended up dropping on Sakura's lap again as he winced in pain.

Sakura shook her head, "Tsk, tsk, tsk…I told you I transferred some life force to you to prevent you from dying but I never told you that I already healed your hideous wounds."

"But….my----" his eyes squinted with anger as he thought about his brother.

"Shh…" Sakura traced his lips lightly again with her fingers. "You'll be fine. You're in good hands." She smiled. "Go ahead and rest, once you wake up again you'll feel much better. Trust me."

"But…" he still insisted.

"I promise I'll be around when you wake up."

Sasuke, still tired from all he'd been through, closed his eyes to rest without any argument.

**000000000**

**Mystic's Village, The Hime's and Sama's Mansion**

**-**

Sasuke groaned before he opened his eyes after blinking a few times. He looked about his strange surrounding, noticing that he was inside a huge room, the colors were mostly red and gold. He frowned when he saw himself lying on a huge bed when he remembered before he followed Sakura's orders that he has to rest that he was lying on the ground.

'_Sakura!'_ the moment he remembered her and her promise, Sasuke threw his blanket and got out of the bed, but to his dismay, as soon as he stood he fell down on the floor.

"Kuso!" he growled, wincing slightly because of his bandaged wounds.

At that same moment, the double doors to his room opened and in came three ladies wearing light brown sarong-style clothing's.

Sasuke raised his brow when they stopped in front of his pathetic state and bowed before helping him back to his bed.

"Sasuke-sama shouldn't be out of bed." One of the ladies said.

"Who are you?" he asked with confusion. "How did you know my name?"

"Sakura-hime told us your name and asked us to mend your wounds and look after you." Another lady said. "And we are the dama's, we're like normal helper's but unlike the normal one's we're the most trusted of helper's and almost part of the clan."

"Where's Sakura?"

"Sakura-hime would see you later, but now she's with one of the elders, they were talking over tea." The third one answered.

"She promised!" he muttered as he glared stubbornly.

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**At the same moment**

Sakura just finished training and already on her way to see Sasuke when her grandfather called her as he saw her and offered her tea. She smiled and obliged.

"So, Sakura, I heard that you brought a young man here yesterday?" her grandfather asked conversationally as he poured her tea.

"Hai." She nodded before accepting the tea.

"Ehh…and no one told me anything around here anymore. I wouldn't have known if I didn't hear it to one of the dama's." he frowned.

Sakura smirked. "Admit it grandfather, your ears are getting useless."

The old man chuckled before he turned serious. "So, you like him very much, I see." He nodded as if knowing something she didn't.

"Eh!"

"Admit it. You wouldn't give him a life force if you don't like him. Giving life force is like giving a person a part of your own. It's too personal to be shared lightly."

Sakura blushed before she drank some tea.

"Do you know anything about him other than his name?"

Sakura shook her head. "I was actually on my way to see him and talk to him."

Her grandfather would have ask some more but one of the dama's came rushing to them.

"Is something wrong?" Sakura asked as the dama stopped in front of them as she panted.

"Gomen, Sakura-hime, Jungjin-sama," she bowed respectfully. "But Sasuke-sama was becoming more difficult as the minutes passed by. We asked him to stay on bed and yet he still tried to stand many times and he keeps on creating havoc while yelling about your promise to him…" she explained. "We are all getting scared around him especially when his eyes dilated and the pupils turned blood red."

Jungjin furrowed his brows, "An eyes turning blood-red? Hnn…interesting…" then he started getting up from his chair. "Maybe I should visit him on his quarters, ne?"

"Iie, Jungjin!" Sakura hurried past her grandfather. "I'll see him now then maybe you could just see him later."

"But Sakura, he could be a threat."

Sakura smiled, "He won't be hurting anyone, I assure you, grandfather." She bowed politely before she almost ran towards Sasuke's quarters.

The dama bowed also before she followed Sakura while Jungjin was left with an amuse smile.

**00000**

Sasuke stopped creating chaos inside the room as he heard the double doors to his room opened then some hurrying steps followed. He calmed a little as he once again saw the pink-haired angel who saved his life. He put down the chair on the floor that he was about to throw outside the ceiling to floor window.

"What's this mess?" Sakura asked in surprise as she saw the room as if a tornado had passed in it. She saw Sasuke standing not too far away to the window, she could see some of his bandaged wounds were bleeding again. "What's up with you?" she asked as she walked towards him.

Sakura stopped a few steps as Sasuke looked at her straight in the eye and she saw his blood-red eyes. Her eyes widened in curiosity and wonderment.

"Scared?" Sasuke taunted.

Sakura pouted before rolling her eyes, "Shush! You never answered any of my questions."

Sasuke walked and stopped right in front of her, their gaze still lock on each other. "Are you scared? You have no idea what my sharingan could do to a person."

Thinking that he would not answer her unless she answered his question, Sakura sighed before speaking. "No."

"Why?" he raised a brow.

Sakura gave a nod to the dama's to let them know that they could leave and she would be alright. The dama's bowed before leaving and closing the door after them.

"Because I saved your life out there, and I could tell that you're not the kind of person who'll hurt or kill someone who just did something good to you." She answered. "I could tell that you're a good person."

Sasuke blush a little before he glared at her.

"And shy too." Sakura laughed.

"You're wrong! I'm not a good person!" he protested.

"In denial I see." She took one of his hands and led him to the bed, they both sat on the edge of the bed facing together. "So, care to answer my question now?"

Sasuke broke eye contact as he looked down in shame, his eyes returning to its onyx color, "I….uhh…you promised that you'll be around when I wake up." His face starting to reddened.

"So, you act like a baby just because you didn't see me? Ohhh…how sweet!" she squealed like a little girl.

"That's not the reason!" he denied as he glared again. "It's just that you're the only person I know here and I didn't saw you when I gained consciousness, I didn't even know where I am."

Sakura smiled as she nodded, "I'm just kidding." Though a little sad at what he said. "So tell me what happened to you? Why are you so beaten up?"

"None of your business."

"I saved you, I have the right to know."

Sasuke stood, "I'm thankful about that, but my problem is none of your concern."

Seeing that he would be stubborn about the whole thing, Sakura decided to press him for answers later, maybe making him feel welcome and at home would make him tell her.

Sakura reached for his hand as she tugged him back to bed, Sasuke didn't object as he let her tug him. "Hmm…how about we attend to your wounds…"

"Why?" he frowned. "They're already bandaged."

"But you made them bleed because of your temper." She smiled, almost patronizingly. "Besides, I'll let them heal for real."

"You could do that?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"Hai, but you have to be awake so you could accept the healing faster, that was why the bandages were like temporary healing methods."

Sasuke wordlessly took his bandages off that were covering almost all of his torso and arms. Sakura blushed seeing his naked chest despite the wounds.

"What? Never saw a half-naked guy before?" he mused with a smirk.

Sakura snorted before she became serious. She gathered some healing energy between her enclosed hands before she let her hands roam the injured part of his body. Sasuke watched in amazement as his wounds were healed in a flash, not even leaving any sign that it had been there.

"Whoa, Konoha would give anything to have a medic nin like you." He muttered.

Sakura smiled as her hands traveled to his injured leg. "I don't usually heal anyone personally, the dama's or anyone here in mystic valley could heal any injuries."

"You mean I'm special?" he asked with a hint of a grin.

"Well, in this case since I'm the one who saved you, might as well heal you too."

"Great, my debt kept on piling." He muttered before he squint his eyes in thought. "Wait, did you say mystic valley?"

"Uh-huh."

"Never heard of this place before."

"I would be surprise if you did."

"?"

"Mystic valley is a hidden land. Nobody could see it unless we invite a person here in our land. You could say that it was some kind of mythical land like Mount Olympus." She explained. "For example, It was like our land is just right behind you and yet you could never see it."

"How did I end up here then?"

Sakura shrugged, "It's the fact that you're near-death, maybe the land allowed you to see this place to heal. You see, people with no intention to harm this land could sometimes see its location. Add the fact that wherever you fell was connected with the stream here."

"So, you're saying that you're a fairy or magical being?" Sasuke asked with a frown.

"No. We're still human beings but our race is powerful enough to conceal our land and to heal the wounded." She patted his leg after finishing her healing. "You're good as new. Later the elders would like to see you."

"Hn."

**000000000000000000000**

**to anime59, sukarou, UV Rei, kawaii sasuke, flames of sadness hurt and betrayal **thanks for the reviews and for the correction, appreciated it so much. Glad you guys liked this.

**Here's next chapter. Onegaishimasu.**


	3. Cherry Blossom

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters. And I don't own Wyatt's protective shield, tee-hee. Charmed owned it.

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**Chapter Three: **Cherry Blossom

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_Sasuke was standing in the middle of the garden. He frowned as he looked at his surroundings. A single sweat ran down from the side of his forehead._

'_This looks eerie familiar.' He thought as he kept on looking for nothing in particular._

_Onyx eyes dilated as it started to get darker until he couldn't see a single thing._

_He jumped a little when he felt a hand grab his own as he heard a crying noise coming from a woman. Then he could suddenly see his mother lying on the floor beside his dead father, she were bloodied and wounded as tears ran down her once kind and cheerful face._

"_Sasuke, help us…"_

_Sasuke's eyes started to water. "Mother…"_

"_Sasuke…"_

_Then the scene faded and it was changed then he was already standing next to the raging water fall and Itachi was standing in front of him with a kunai that he stabbed in front of Sasuke's chest._

"_The weak dies and the strong survives…" Itachi whispered before he pushed Sasuke to the raging water fall._

_As he fell to the water and it finally engulfed him, only one sentence remained to Sasuke._

"_The weak dies…"_

"_The weak dies…"_

_**The weak dies!**_

**---**

Sasuke sat up from his bed as he panted and sweated. "Damn you, Itachi! I'm gonna kill you!" he growled.

Since he witnessed the death of his parents, Sasuke started to have those same haunting dreams.

When he noticed that it was already afternoon and nobody was around, he stood from his bed and walked out to his own verandah. He took a deep breath of fresh air as it greeted him. This was the first time he stepped out of his room after a week of confinement since even though he was already cured and out of danger, his chakra was still weak. And the fact that after he was cured by Sakura, his body longed for a long time of rest.

That was why his meeting with the elders was cancelled last week.

From his perched at the fourth floor of the mansion, Sasuke could see some farmers not too far away farming their lands and planting some plants. Some of the dama's were gathering fruits.

By looking at his surroundings, he could tell that the mansion he was at was a little bit far from its village, he could tell that the mansion was made on higher grounds since he could also see the busy village from where he was, though the inside ground of the mansion were like a small village also on itself.

Seeing this peaceful land, he couldn't help but to long for his once peaceful life with his whole clan, when his brother hadn't gotten mad on the head yet.

Sasuke sighed before he brusquely brushed his eyes to prevent the water in his eyes to fall.

When his hands went back to the railings, he gripped it tightly as his face became emotionless. "I swear I'll have my revenge, I'll kill Itachi!"

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke looked down and he saw Sakura smiling back at him, she was on top of a white mare, her hair was being flown by the wind. She was wearing a satin emerald pantaloon and a matching pair of haltered top, and just like a week ago every time he saw her, she was wearing an elbow length gloves the same color as her clothes with a single bangle-bracelet on her right hand. Sasuke smirked when he noticed Sakura's elf-like shoes.

"So, you wanna come with me?" Sakura asked loudly since he was four floors up.

"Why?"

Sakura shrugged. "Because I could tell that you're already bored up there." Though except that, Sakura would want Sasuke to feel really at home and comfortable around them. And even though he was not telling anything, she could tell that he's carrying a burden in his heart and the least she could do is to give him something to cheer up for…at least she'd try. Not to mention that she felt something special for him the very first time she saw him almost lifeless on the lake. "And I could tell that any longer of your stay there, you'll already rot." She grinned.

"Hn." Sasuke went inside to grab his weapons. When that night happened, he swore that he'll never be caught off guard again. And when he got back at the verandah, he started to climbed and jumped over the railings.

"Hey, don't you dare----"

Sakura sighed as she stared at Sasuke who landed perfectly on the ground. "…..jump…" she finished lamely, before she glared at him. "I can't believe you!"

He just looked at her blankly.

But not minding his silence, Sakura ranted on, "You could have been injured, or worse killed! And doesn't it occur to you that it's only been a week when you're almost near dying." She looked at him worriedly.

"But I'm fine." He said as he walked towards her.

Sakura was not blind not to notice that as each day passed, Sasuke was changing. He was becoming colder and silent. And she bet that maybe he was only putting up with her was because she was the one who saved his life.

She shook her head and pasted a bright smile as he stopped right next to the horse she was riding. But despite those changes, she promised to herself that she would stay by his side and she'd support him as long as he allowed her.

And silence means yes, right?

Anyway, even though if someday he won't allow her to stay by his side anymore, that doesn't mean she'd listen to him, ne?

"Ready?" Sakura smiled as she patted the place behind her since she was the one holding the reign at the front.

"Where are we going?"

"Just around." She shrugged. "Hop on already."

He silently climbed on the mare, Sakura blushed as she felt Sasuke's warm body at her back.

"So, Sasuke-kun, what do you think of my clothes today?" she asked excitedly.

"Fine."

She pouted. "Is that all you can say?"

He shrugged, "They're all the same anyway."

"Huh?" she glowered.

"They all fitted you fine."

Then she brightened again. A single compliment from Sasuke, even how blunt and simple, could make her day.

Sakura frowned as she looked down then blushed when she felt and saw Sasuke's arms slipped to her waist, his arms brushing the bare skin of her waist.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Then she saw his hands held the reign before he shook her hands out of the reign as it fell automatically on the space between her spread legs. Then she felt Sasuke's right hand held her waist tighter as he adjusted her body to his, Sakura's hands then held on Sasuke's arm.

"Since you invited me out of my room, it's just right if I would rein the horse, ne?" he whispered to her ear.

Sakura shivered as she squirmed slightly on her place. "H-hai."

Sasuke pulled the reign, the horse howled as it lifted its front hooves in the air before it ran fast. Sakura shrieked as she automatically shifted her body and hugged Sasuke's waist tightly.

"S-Sasuke-kuuun!"

"Hai?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Slow down, onegai!"

"But you agreed that I'll lead the reign." He said before he let the horse ran faster.

Sakura could do nothing but to shrieked and hold tighter to Sasuke.

When they reached the farmer's fields, the farmer's bowed respectfully as they passed. Sakura gave some haste wave as the horse continued to run faster. After a second, only the dirt from the hooves was left behind.

"You're crazy! Did you hit your head somewhere!" Sakura half-shrieked half-laughed, enjoying the fast ride more. Yes, she knew how to ride a horse but that doesn't mean that she could let the horse ran as fast like what Sasuke was doing, that was why it was her first time experiencing riding a horse running so fast, she even thought that maybe they were faster than the wind.

Sasuke just shrugged as he lightly sniffed her hair. "Maybe from the falls, who knows…" he silently mumbled as his left arm freed Sakura's waist for a while as he took some strands in front of Sakura's face and tuck it back under her ears before his arm went back around Sakura's waist.

Sakura heard what he said but she didn't push, she just listens, and by hearing some small sentences from him, she could puzzle them all together later.

"Besides," Sasuke started again. "Scared that I would let you fall?"

Sakura slowly looked at his direction, twisting her head and body in an awkward position. She saw him looked down at her for a while before looking back straight at the field. She smiled and sighed, "Iie, I trust you that you wouldn't let me fall, Sasuke-kun…" she said solemnly, almost like a prayer before she slowly and unsurely lifted her face a little as her lips lightly gave Sasuke's chin a kiss. He kept his face straight but Sakura saw his adam's apple moved and gulped as she felt his arm tightened more about her.

"Arigato."

"For what?"

"For believing and trusting me at the time when I felt so unworthy." He muttered as his eyes hardened. "I felt so worthless, I didn't even try to save my family…"

Sakura kept silent. She didn't want to say anything because she didn't know the whole ordeal and she's afraid she might say something stupid and inappropriate. And she can't have that when Sasuke was starting to reveal his story piece by piece.

She held him with reassurance and kissed his clenched jaw lightly before resting her head on his chest.

She knew that she can't do anything yet but to assure him, but she can't help but to feel agitated and awkward, she can't help but think that maybe Sasuke was only allowing her to kissed and hugged him because he was deep in thoughts and mourning, and that he only allowed her to come close because of needed comfort.

But what would happen when he finished his mourning? Would he turn away from her?

She sighed before she move her head away from his chest as her hands un-latched their hold on Sasuke's waist. She felt sadder when Sasuke didn't say anything or even react. It was like he was so passive he didn't care what was being done and un-done around him.

Sakura shook the sad thoughts out of her mind for a while. This is the time to be happy because she's very close to Sasuke, that's why she has to be happy for the time being.

Then her mind darkened again at her new thoughts, _'What if this is the only time I'll be able to be close to Sasuke-kun?'_

She breathe some fresh air before totally forgetting her worries as she re-arrange herself once more as she sat properly again. She never caught the questioning look Sasuke gave her.

**000000**

They reached the flower fields; different birds and butterflies flew about, flowers and trees were swaying with the wind as the mare galloped about, and when Sasuke pulled the reign to make it stop its hooves were raised once again before it settled down.

Sasuke jumped down from the mare before he held Sakura by the waist and help her down on the ground.

Sasuke studied the surrounding as if recalling something while Sakura chase after the birds and butterflies and once and a while she would pick some flowers and threw it playfully in the air.

She was twirling around when she noticed that Sasuke was missing. She couldn't see him when seconds ago he was just standing not far away from her.

"Sasuke-kun?" she called worriedly.

--

While Sakura was playing on the field like a child, Sasuke looked about the place when he heard the sound of flowing water. Without second thoughts, he followed the sound.

And now, he was standing in front of the lake where Sakura found him, he could still see some of his dry blood on the rock.

'_So, the falls back at Konoha is connected to this lake…'_ he thought as he stared at the lake. _'But before, the fall doesn't seem like it was connected to a place like this one. What we knew was that it was connected straight to a river.' _He analyzed. _'It only means that this village is really enchanted.'_

While he was thinking, Sasuke didn't notice that he was walking farther away from where Sakura was as he followed the lake backwards, from where he came from or from where the stream of water lead him to.

-

Sakura started to worry when Sasuke was not responding to her call. _'What if he's injured again?'_ she thought as she started to enter the forest.

-

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A young runaway ninja?" a man's voice taunted before adding as he saw Sasuke's head protector. "…from Konoha, I see…"

Sasuke blinked before he narrowed his eyes. _'Damn! I'm being careless again! And I let my guard down!'_ he crouched a little, taking his own fighting position as he prepared himself to fight.

As he was walking, he didn't noticed that he was already out of the Mystic's Valley's protected land and veil.

He scanned the area and he saw three men, the one talking to him was the muscular of the three, the other one was fragile looking with white cloak, and the third one looked like a lunatic.

In his point of view, they were an odd bunch.

But none the less, he activated his sharingan, his eyes never leaving them as he glared at them coldly.

"Ah…what a rare surprise…" the muscular man cackled. "This fight could be interesting."

"And we could sell him to a market. He's rare indeed!" lunatic one said as he licked the dagger he was holding.

Sasuke grasped his kunai, anticipating the fight.

The two men started to attack and Sasuke was about to attack when he was suddenly thrown hard on the ground. Small cuts started to appear on his arms.

His eyes wild as he scanned the area, then he realized that the fragile man was nowhere to be found. Then his eyes widened as he coughed blood when someone kicked him hard on his stomach a few times until his grasped on the kunai loosened. He could hear the two men laughing…and they were laughing at him!

"The kid was not worth fighting with!" the muscular man said. "He even activated those red eyes of his for nothing! How pitiful!"

Sasuke clenched his fist. He was about to get up when someone kicked him again from behind. He was being kicked back and forth when the lunatic looking guy joined the other unseen one. They were not allowing him to get his bearing back.

Since he was still a bit weak from his ordeal a week ago and he was still on the verge of healing, his full strength was still not back yet.

He started to hate himself.

Hate his pathetic 'strength'.

He felt someone pulled his hair backwards and he ended up lying on the ground, then he saw the fragile man unveiled himself from his white cloak.

"You see, I have the ability to be invisible." He said as he sat next to Sasuke.

"Hn…this guy looked so cute, it would be a waste to just sell him to the market." Lunatic said as he grasped Sasuke's hair harder.

Sasuke hated and was disgusted at his predicament.

'_Great! A perverted bounty-hunters-wanna-be's!'_ he thought hatefully.

"You're right." Fragile man said as his hands caressed Sasuke's right arm. "He's so cute we could dress him as a girl…"

'_A perverted psycho! So damn great!'_ he thought disgustedly as he struggled and fought.

"How about I slice his skin a bit?" lunatic said as he started to raised his knife. "A scar on his left cheek, what do you think?"

Fragile grinned wickedly while muscular watched not too far away with amusement. It was always like this, it was fun to let their prey feel like they could defeat them and in the end they would end up being broken.

Lunatic was about to struck when Sakura appeared from the nearby forest.

"Sasuke-kun!" she shrieked. She started to run towards him, not caring about the three psychotic men. Irritation surfaced as she saw two of them near Sasuke.

"Sakura." Sasuke's eyes dilated. He was more nervous at what they could do to Sakura than what they were planning to do to him later. "Go!"

But she never listened, she kept on coming forward.

The three men looked at her hungrily, especially when they saw her exotic clothing.

"Hmm…it's been a while since I played with a cute girl. And she's in a costume too!" muscular said, lust in his eyes.

The other two agreed as they stood and ignored Sasuke as they started to plot what to do with the pink-haired beauty after they caught her.

"It would be fun seeing you girlfriend being played by us, ne?" lunatic taunted Sasuke as he gave him a hard kick once again.

Sasuke coughed as he clenched his jaw, his one arm clutching his stomach.

Sakura threw herself about Sasuke.

The men started to approach her.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw them almost near and closing about them.

They were about to grabbed Sakura to be taken away from Sasuke when a bright blue orb surrounded them, protecting them from harm.

The three men were thrown hard on different places.

"Kuso!" lunatic said as he stood and charged.

Sakura didn't bother about them as she started to heal Sasuke's wounds.

Lunatic stuck his dagger on the orb-barrier, he was electrocuted and then burned and turned to ashes. The wind blew his remaining ashes away and apart.

The two remaining men's eyes widened in fear as they panicked before they ran away.

The orb disappeared.

Sakura was about to heal Sasuke's other wounds when he swapped her hands away.

"What was that about?" he said in a low tone.

Sakura shifted before answering, "It's a protective shield."

"Another power from the Mystic Valley…" Sasuke said sarcastically.

"Why are you acting this way, Sasuke-kun?" She asked with a worried frown. "And I didn't just suddenly have this kind of power, I learned it."

"And you didn't bother to tell me! While I was so worried they might hurt you!" he glared at her as he stood up.

Sakura sighed, she clasped her hands together nervously as she stood also. "I didn't think that I have to tell everyone about it, only me and my sensei's knew about this and they only appear when I'm in possible danger."

Sasuke nodded bitterly. "For the second time, you saved me….I'm always making a fool of myself. Always the worthless one." His jaw clenched. "I **hate** it!" then his expression turned cold again. "I'll be stronger."

Sakura just bit her lip, Sasuke was walking back to the path of the Mystic Valley when Sakura spoke. "Please let me heal your wounds…"

Sasuke just looked at her for a second before he continued walking without a word, until she could no longer see him.

A single tear trickled down her cheek. _'As if what happened earlier was only a dream…'_ she wiped her eye then started to follow the path he took. _'Sasuke-kun…'_

**00000000**

**To Mimi the ninja, sweet cherryblossom1, Tataiha, anime59, Lone Sakura, Reiyuka Yumikoto, **thank you all very much.

And about the age: **Sakura is 16 and Sasuke is 16 turning 17, **you'll see.

**Here's chapter three.**


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